Brant's proposed budget includes decrease in tax rate, again

For the fifth time in the last six years, the residents of the Town of Brant may see a decrease in their tax rate.

The 2013 tentative supervisors budget shows a decrease in taxes of .45 percent.

“It may not look like much, but it’s still a decrease,” Supervisor Leonard Pero said. “Generally, I’ve always done my best to keep the town’s tax rate down.”

The tentative budget reflects a 3 to 3.5 percent increase in salaries across the board, as well as money for the new town clerk’s program, new general ledger program, $7,000 for a new floor in the police garage, new roofs for the senior and recreation building, repair to the salt shed, a new lean-to for more equipment, painting the highway garage, winter recreation, an addition $1,000 for seniors, and 10 percent allocated for our new refuse contract,” Pero said.

“I think we have a very fair budget once again,” Pero said. “I feel that we’ve done a lot in our community for a little amount of money and my feeling is always that we should keep the taxes down, especially in a time like this where the economy is in the state it is and people are out of work. I try to do whatever I can to keep the tax rate down. My feeling is that now is the time to have taxes low. I get a lot of work done for free or in kind, which helps us immensely in expanding our community.”

Pero added that being a small community definitely aids in keeping the tax rate down.

“Being a town that doesn’t have many full time workers, we are able to stay out of having to deal with issues that many other communities do, like retirement and healthcare, and we are fortunate in that regard. We don’t have the amount of people in the Town of Brant that say a Hamburg, Evans or Eden has – we only have 2,000 people, and while we grew a little bit, which I’m very proud of, we don’t have 9,000 people like those communities. We’re in a really good position.”

The tax rate has dropped steadily since 2007, a decrease of roughly 5.6 percent, and over the past five years, the only increase in the tax rate residents of Brant have seen was due to the fire/ambulance contracts. And though they may have caused an uptick in taxes last year, Pero is not afraid of the fire/ambulance contracts doing the same this year.

“No, because I think everyone is on the same page that they are going to get the same amount they got last year. Now, the problem is with the fire contracts is that they haven’t come to the table for the contract, Brant (fire company), but I’m not going to play a game with them where we’re not going to give them the money because we do need fire protection. The fire companies are very important to our community, and I think unfortunately there are some who have problems. Personally, I’m very proud of the Brant Fire Company, I’m proud of Farnham and I’m proud of North Collins as well and their ambulance squads. I think we can’t have anything better than these companies.

“I just want to say that whatever the disagreement is, I wish it would go away because we are a community here and we want to work together.”

Residents will have their chance to voice their opinion on the tentative budget when the Brant Town Board holds a public hearing on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m.

Immediately following that public hearing, another will be held regarding the fire/ambulance contracts at 8:20 p.m.

For the fifth time in the last six years, the residents of the Town of Brant may see a decrease in their tax rate.

The 2013 tentative supervisors budget shows a decrease in taxes of .45 percent.

“It may not look like much, but it’s still a decrease,” Supervisor Leonard Pero said. “Generally, I’ve always done my best to keep the town’s tax rate down.”

The tentative budget reflects a 3 to 3.5 percent increase in salaries across the board, as well as money for the new town clerk’s program, new general ledger program, $7,000 for a new floor in the police garage, new roofs for the senior and recreation building, repair to the salt shed, a new lean-to for more equipment, painting the highway garage, winter recreation, an addition $1,000 for seniors, and 10 percent allocated for our new refuse contract,” Pero said.

“I think we have a very fair budget once again,” Pero said. “I feel that we’ve done a lot in our community for a little amount of money and my feeling is always that we should keep the taxes down, especially in a time like this where the economy is in the state it is and people are out of work. I try to do whatever I can to keep the tax rate down. My feeling is that now is the time to have taxes low. I get a lot of work done for free or in kind, which helps us immensely in expanding our community.”

Pero added that being a small community definitely aids in keeping the tax rate down.

“Being a town that doesn’t have many full time workers, we are able to stay out of having to deal with issues that many other communities do, like retirement and healthcare, and we are fortunate in that regard. We don’t have the amount of people in the Town of Brant that say a Hamburg, Evans or Eden has – we only have 2,000 people, and while we grew a little bit, which I’m very proud of, we don’t have 9,000 people like those communities. We’re in a really good position.”

The tax rate has dropped steadily since 2007, a decrease of roughly 5.6 percent, and over the past five years, the only increase in the tax rate residents of Brant have seen was due to the fire/ambulance contracts. And though they may have caused an uptick in taxes last year, Pero is not afraid of the fire/ambulance contracts doing the same this year.

“No, because I think everyone is on the same page that they are going to get the same amount they got last year. Now, the problem is with the fire contracts is that they haven’t come to the table for the contract, Brant (fire company), but I’m not going to play a game with them where we’re not going to give them the money because we do need fire protection. The fire companies are very important to our community, and I think unfortunately there are some who have problems. Personally, I’m very proud of the Brant Fire Company, I’m proud of Farnham and I’m proud of North Collins as well and their ambulance squads. I think we can’t have anything better than these companies.

“I just want to say that whatever the disagreement is, I wish it would go away because we are a community here and we want to work together.”

Residents will have their chance to voice their opinion on the tentative budget when the Brant Town Board holds a public hearing on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m.

Immediately following that public hearing, another will be held regarding the fire/ambulance contracts at 8:20 p.m.